Ice dispensing apparatus



Feb. 13, 1968 J. HARDEMAN ICE DISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 1Filed May 31, 1966 INVENTOR. JOHN L. HARDEMAN ATTORNEYS Feb. 13, 1968 J.HARDEMAN ICE DISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed May 31, 1966INVENTOR. JOHN L HARDEMAN ATTORNEYS Feb. 13, 1968 QL HARDEMAN ICEDISPENSING APPARATUS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 Filed May 51, 1966 INVENTOR. .TOHNHARDEMAN ATTORNEYS United States Patent 3,368,723 ICE DISPENSINGAPPARATUS John L. Hardeman, Merriam, Kans., assignor to Titan IceMachine Corporation, Kansas City, Mo., a corporation of Missouri FiledMay 31, 1966, Ser. No. 553,782 7 Claims. (Cl. 222-247) ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE An ice storage and dispensing apparatus including a containerhaving an insulated storage chamber with generally parallel ends and atransversely tapering lower portion, said container having a dischargepassage way communicating with the interior of the storage chamber formovement of ice forms therefrom, the discharge passageway being locatedslightly upwardly from the bottom of the storage chamber and at oneside. There is a closure valve for the discharge passageway which whenopened will permit ice forms to pass therethrough. The containerincludes an agitating structure oscillatable about an axislongitudinally of the chamber with a plurality of longitudinally spacedoutwardly extending members with vanes on end portions to agitate theice forms to break same apart, the vanes being arranged with surfaces tomove ice toward the discharge passage in response to oscillatorymovement of the agitator? Ice may be provided for storage and dispensingmeans by various types of ice making machines, either in conjunctionwith said dispensing means for automatic supply or separately, therebyrequiring manual delivery of the ice to the dispensing means. Varioustypes of ice making machines are available for automatically making icein the form of cubes, crushed ice, cracked ice and the like. Suchmachines function to start a freezing cycle in response to a demandindication and while no ice freezing may be required for long periods oftime, the periods of peak demand may exceed the freezing capacity of themachines resulting in unfilled requirements and dissatisfaction. Storagefacilities for large quantities of such ice particles or forms to handlepeak loads have presented difliculties due to the tendency of the iceparticles to adhere together within the storage facility making removalof said particles difficult or impossible.

In such facilities as hospitals, hotels and the like, it is desirable todispense such ice particles or forms into containers, such as icepitchers and the like, for various utilizations. Heretofore, the removalof such ice forms and the placement of said ice forms in such containerswas a time consuming, relatively unsanitary procedure usually involvingmanual breaking of the adhered ice forms and difficulty in placing theice forms in said containers due to the restricted openings in suchcontainers as pitchers and the like.

The principal objects of this invention are: to provide a new andimproved apparatus for the storage of various ice forms and thedispensing of said ice forms to alleviate the aforementioneddifiiculties in the art; to provide such an apparatus in combinationwith an ice making machine, eliminating the necessity of human handlingof the ice prior to its distribution or consumption, thereby effecting asanitary distribution system, particularly valuable in hospitals and thelike; to provide such an apparatus wherein various forms of ice may bemanually placed in said apparatus for storage and dispensing, said iceforms being dispensed into various containers to provide a sanitary icedistribution procedure; to provide such an apparatus having a dischargepassage or port of a sufiiciently small dispensing area as to allow thefree ice which would inhibit or prevent the free flow of ice forms fromsaid apparatus; to provide such an apparatus including means forbreaking up masses of adhered ice forms to allow for the free flow ofice forms through a small discharge passageway; to provide such anapparatus having a new and improved valve closure means for opening andclosing the flow passageway of said apparatus which is not susceptibleto freeze-up or blockage by said ice forms; to provide such an apparatuswhich may be simply and inexpensively manufactured and installed tomaterially increase the ease and sanitation of the distribution ofvarious ice forms.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent fromthe following description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings wherein are set forth by way of illustration and examplecertain embodiments of this invention.

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a service center including an icestoring and dispensing apparatus embodying the features of thisinvention.

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 22 of FIG. 3 throughthe ice storing and dispensing apparatus included in the service centerof FIG. 1.

FIG. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on line 3-3 of FIG. 2 throughthe ice storing and dispensing apparatus.

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary vertical sectional view through the dischargemember of the ice storing and dispensing apparatus showing the ice flowpassageway and a valve mechanism for closing said passageway.

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken on line -55 of FIG. 4.

FIG. 6 is a perspective view of a service center including an icestoring and dispensing apparatus embodying the features of thisinvention in combination with an ice making machine.

FIG. 7 is a partial bottom plan view of the discharge member and valvemechanism mounted on the ice storage container with a portion of saidcontainer being broken away to illustrate the relationship of the reliefvalve mechanism to the discharge member in its open and closedpositions.

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view through the appendagesof the agitating means illustrating the relationship of the fins on saidappendages to the discharge member and showing the fin construction.

Referring to the drawings in more detail:

This invention contemplates an apparatus for storing and dispensingvarious ice forms including a storage container having side walls, saidside walls having an interior surface, said surface of each of said sidewalls having a lower inwardly inclining portion defining an innerchamber having a transversely tapering lower portion, said containeralso defining a discharge port or passageway in communication with thechamber of said container, said passageway extending exteriorly of saidcontainer. The invention further contemplates an agitating meansoperatively mounted within said container, said agitating meansincluding appendages swingable transversely of said container in aslightly spaced relation to the lower inwardly inclining portion of theinterior surface of said container to break apart ice forms which haveadhered together. The appendages of said agitating means are swingablein an arc generally conforming to the shape of the lower portion of thestorage chamber. It is also contemplated that the appendages have vanesoperatively connected to their outer end portions for moving the iceforms in a particular direction within the storage chamber toward thedischarge port or passageway in order to move the ice forms into thedesired position within the storage chamber over the dischargepassageway or port. This invent-ion also contemplates a new and improvedclosure valve mechanism for utilization in ice flow passageways which isnot susceptible to the normal freeze-up problems of closure devices ofthis type and which is capable of being rotated to a closed positioneven though various ice forms may be blocking the flow passage.

The reference numeral 1 generally designates a service center of such atype which may be utilized in hospitals, hotels and the like for fillingice pitchers or other containers with various forms of ice and obtainingdrinking water or other commodities for patient or customer service. Theservice center 1 is exemplary only as it is illustrative of a type offacility in which an apparatus for dispensing and storing various iceforms may be employed. The apparatus for storing and dispensing iceforms, however, may be employed in other and different facilities andsupporting structures, depending upon its location and utilization in aparticular establishment.

The reference numeral 2 designates the apparatus for storing anddispensing various forms of ice and includes an ice storage container,cabinet or housing 4 which, as illustrated, is a double wall structure.The ice storage container 2, as illustrated, includes an inner wall 6,an outer wall 8 in opposed spaced relation from the inner wall 6 with alayer of insulation 10 disposed in the space between the spaced innerand outer walls 6 and 8 respectively. In the illustrated embodiment, theinner wall 6 is formed of a non-corrosive material useable with foodsand capable of being subjected to cleaning and sanitizing materials andmethods such as a stainless steel with the outer wall 8 formed of asynthetic resin or other material to provide additional insulating. Theinner wall 6 has a pair of opposed end wall portions 12 and 14 and sidewall portions 16 and 18, said end wall portions 12 and 14 beingoperatively connected to said side walls 16 and 18 to retain said sidewalls 16 and 18 in opposed spaced relation and defining therebetween aninterior ice storage chamber or compartment 28 in which the various iceforms are stored awaiting their ultimate distribution. The side wallportions 16 and 18 each have an interior surface 22, said surface 22 ofeach of said side walls 16 and 18 having a lower portion 24 inclininginwardly and thereby defining a storage chamber 20 having a transverselytapering lower portion 26. The interior surface 22 of the side walls 16and 18, in the illustrated embodiment, extends inwardly toward anotherdefining a generally U- shaped configuration in transverse sectionalview having an arcuately shaped lower portion 24 wherein the interiorsurfaces 22 of the opposed side walls 16 and 18 are continuous andintegral with one another to form a troughlike structure in which thevarious ice forms are stored and from which they are dispensed. Theinterior surface 22 of the side walls 16 and 18 is slightly inclinedlongitudinally toward a lower end 25 of chamber 20 where a drain 27 islocated to remove water from chamber 20.

In the illustrated embodiment, the container 4 includes an upper closuremember 28 being of a double wall construction having a layer ofinsulation 30 disposed between said walls. The closure member 28 ishingedly sealed to the container 4 by suitable means in a conventionalmanner and suitably sealed upon closing in such a manner as toeffectively inhibit the transfer of heat to the interior storage chamber20.

The storage and dispensing apparatus 2 also includes an agitating means32 which is operatively connected within said interior chamber 20, saidmeans 32 being operable for agitating the various ice forms to effect abreaking or disengagement of a mass or plurality of adhered ice forms ofthe type which tend to form in a storage device of this nature. In theillustrated embodiment, the agitating means 32 includes a rotatableshaft 34 suitably journaled in the end wall portions 12 and 14 of theinterior wall 6, said rotatable shaft 34 being operatively connected toa driving means 36 for oscillating the shaft 34 in a desired arc. Thedriving means 36 is illustrated herein as an electric motor 38operatively mounted by suitable means to the interior wall 6 of thecontainer 4 and having a shaft 50 operatively mounted to a drive arm 42.The drive arm 42 is pivotally mounted to a linkage arm 44 which is, inturn, pivotally mounted to a second linkage arm 46 which is suitablysecured to the shaft 34. As shaft 50 of the electric motor 38 is driven,the shaft 34 will reciprocate or oscillate through a desired arc toeffectively swing or move a plurality of agitating appendagesillustrated herein as appendages, fingers or arms 48 operatively mountedin a longitudinally spaced relation along said shaft 34 in a suitablemanner. Each of the appendages 48 has a lower end portion 50 which isswingable by the oscillating motion of the shaft 34 in a slightly spacedrelation from the lower portion 24 of the interior surface 22 of theinner wall 6 of container 4, in such a manner as to agitate the iceforms within the inner compartment 20 of container 4, thereby breakingapart any masses of adhered ice forms which may have been formed duringthe storage time of said ice.

In the illustrated embodiment, the appendages 48 each have a vane or finmember 52 operatively mounted as by welding to the lower portion 50 ofappendages 48 having an ice movement surface 51 to effect a movement ofthe ice forms within the storage compartment 20 to a suitable dischargepoint from said compartment 20 such that a free flow of ice forms mayalways be had through said discharge means as sufficient quantities ofice are moved by means of vanes 52 to said discharge means. The vanes52, as illustrated are welded to a side of the shaft-like appendages 48as shown in FIG. 8. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 8, it should be noted thatthe vanes on one side of the discharge point, said point beingillustrated by increased spacing between the longitudinally disposedappendages 48 in FIG. 3, have ice movement surfaces 51 directed in onemanner whereas the appendages on the opposite side of the dischargepoint are directed in an opposite manner, such that a stroke of theoscillating appendages 48 will cause said surfaces 51 to move the iceforms within the inner compartment 20 toward the discharge point in thecompartment 20. The back stroke of the appendages 48 does not tend tomove the ice forms away from the discharge point because of theshaft-like appendages 48 mounted to vanes 52, which due to the shape ofthe mounting and weld fillets 53, cause the vanes 52 to out through themass of ice forms without movement of said forms away from the dischargepoint.

The interior surface 22 of each of the side walls 16 and 18, asillustrated, has a rib member 55 suitably mounted thereto and extendinglongitudinally of the storage chamber 20 between the end walls 12 and14. The rib members 55, as illustrated, are inset from the terminationpoint of the oscillating arc of the appendages 48 on each of the sidewalls 16 and 18 such that the vanes 52 pass over said ribs 55 inslightly spaced relation thereto on each oscillation across chamber 20.The ribs 55 each contain a generally vertical abutment surface 57 facinginwardly of chamber 20 for cooperative interaction with the vanes 52during each oscillation across chamber 20 to assist in breaking apartadhered ice forms and to further assist in moving the ice forms to thedischarge member 56.

The storing and dispensing apparatus 2 also employs a new and improveddispensing means acting in combination with the agitating means 32 incompartment 20 to dispense ice forms through a relatively smallpassageway, said dispensing means including a closure member operable toripen and close a dispensing passageway to selectively permit andrestrict the flow of ice forms from the inner storage compartment 20.The dispensing means indicated herein by numeral 54 includes a dischargememher 56 illustrated herein as a tubular member defining a flow passageor flow port 58 providing communication between the inner chamber 20 andthe exterior of container 4. The discharge member 56 is laterally offsetfrom the low point of the inner chamber 20 to prevent the flow of waterfrom melted ice through said passage 58. The discharge member 56, asillustrated, is comprised of an upper portion 60 and a lower portion 62,each of said portions being tubular and interconnected by means of apair of exterior braces 64, said portions 60 and 62 being retained inopposed vertically spaced relation defining therebetween a transverseslot 66 through the discharge member 56 for receipt of a closure meansfor selectively opening and closing the flow passage 58.

As illustrated in FIGS. 4 and 5, a closure member or closure valve 68 isselectively movable through slot 66 to seal off the flow passage 58 toprevent the movement of ice forms from the inner compartment 20 ofcontainer 4. The closure member 68 is illustrated herein as a leaf valvemember 70 being some what V-shaped in plan view having a pair ofangularly disposed leg portions 72 and 74 and being of a fiat plate-likeform. The leaf valve 70 is operatively connected by suitable means to ahand crank or handle 76 at leg 74, said handle 76 serving to rotate theleaf valve 70 and particularly, the leg portion 72 into sealing relationwith the passageway 58. The leg portions 72 and 74 are joined in aV-shaped manner and have an interior apex or indented portion 78 whichrotates approximately through the center area 79 of the passageway 58.The movement of the apex portion 78 across the passage 58 effects a typeof wedging action which moves the ice forms which may be blocking thepassageway 58 after the fiow of ice through said passageway intounderlying or overlying relation to the leaf valve member 70 to allowthe valve member 70 to completely seal off the flow passage 58. The leafvalve member 70 has only a small area in contacting relation to thetubular member or discharge member 56 at which freezing might occur tostick the leaf valve 70 in a closed position. The location of thedischarge member 56 in a laterally offset relation to the low portion ofthe chamber 20 prevents large quantities of moisture from gathering inpassageway 58 which might cause freeze-up to closure valve 68. Themoisture moves through chamber 20 for discharge through drain 27. Itshould be noted that the operating mechanism of the closure member 68 isgenerally exposed to the outer atmosphere through the flow passageway 58and is, therefore, constantly heated to (Eliminate any possibility offreeze-up of the closure means When the crank or handle 76 is rotated tomove the leaf valve 70 to an open position, it is desirable to activatethe agitating means 32 to rotate the shaft 34 and swing appendages 48 tobreak up adhered ice masses within the storage chamber 20 and to effectmovement of the ice by means of the vanes 52 toward the dischargepassage 5? to supply the discharge passage 58 with a free flow 0 ice.

In the illustrated embodiment, the agitation means 32 is activated bymeans of a micro-switch 80 suitably mounted to the outer wall 8 of thecontainer 4, said microswitch 80 being so positioned that the rotationof the crank 76 to move the leaf valve 70 to an open position places thecrank 76 in contacting relation to the microswitch 80 depressing theswitching means 82 on said micro-switch 80 and thereby activating theagitating means 32 as the micro-switch 80 is operatively connected tothe electric motor 38 and the power source to motor 38. It should benoted that other and different types of switching mechanisms may beemployed to activate the agitating means 32 and said switching means maybe located in other and different locations. It should be recognized,however, that the placement of the switching means 80 in a cooperatingrelation to the crank or handle 76 provides considerable advantage inview of the fact that one may be holding the pitcher or other containerin one hand in a receiving position beneath the flow passage 58 and witha single motion of the other free hand, move the crank 76 to an openposition and automatically activate the agitation means 32 by depressingthe switching means 82.

Referring to FIG. 6, a modification of the service center 1 isillustrated and designated by the reference numeral 90. The servicecenter 90 includes an ice making mechanism 92 of a conventional naturewhich lies above and in communication with the inner chamber or storagecompartment 20 of the container 4. The ice making mechanism 92 is sodisposed that it may be periodically activated by suitable means tomanufacture any of the various types of ice forms and deposit said formswithin the storage compartment 20 of container 4. By employing such acombination, it is only necessary to dispense the ice forms from thecontainer 4 in the convenient manner previously described and there isno necessity of filling the container 4 with various types of ice formsas this is accomplished automatically by the ice making mechanism 92. Itshould be noted that a combination of this type would be extremelybeneficial in a facility such as a hospital where sanitation isextremely important and the combination shown by the service center 90provides an apparatus wherein the various ice forms themselves need notbe touched or handled by the distribution personnel, but may be made inthe apparatus 92, deposited in the container 4 for storage, and thendischarged into a pitcher or other container without the necessity ofhuman handling of the ice forms themselves. This procedure wouldmaterially increase the sanitary characteristics of an ice distributionoperation. This combination is particularly adaptable to the new andimproved ice storage and dispensing apparatus 2 embodying the feature ofthis invention as it would be seldom necessary to obtain entry into theinner compartment 20 for such things as freeze-up or removing largeblocks of adhered ice forms or various other problems attendant theprior art devices.

In operation, it is merely necessary to place an ice receiving containersuch as a pitcher beneath the discharge passageway 58. In fact, thedischarge member could probably be placed through the receiving apertureof the container so as to avoid any spilling of the various ice forms.The handel 76 or crank is then swung to an open position to move theleaf valve 70 and particularly the leg 72 of valve 70 out of its sealingposition in relation to the discharge member 56. The rotation of thecrank or handle 76 also moves said handle into contacting rela tion withthe micro-switch 89 to thereby activate said switch and the electricmotor 38 to oscillate the shaft 34 in the manner previously described tomove the appendages 48 in an arcuate path across the lower portion 26 ofthe inner compartment 20 to break apart adhered ice forms and to movethe ice forms to the discharge port passageway 58 to insure a free flowof ice forms through said passageway 58. When ice container is filled orthe desired amount of ice is obtained, the crank 76 is then rotated to aclosed position moving the leaf valve 70 across the flow passage 58thereby sealing said flow passage. The movement of the handle or crank76 away from the micro-switch 80 allows the switching means 82 to moveinto an open position, thereby stopping the flow of current to the motor38 and deactivating the agitation means 32.

It is to be understood that while I have illustrated and described oneform of my invention, it is not to be limited to the specific form orarrangement of parts herein described and shown except insofar as suchlimitations are included in the claims.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms comprising:

(a) a container having an interior surface defining an inner storagechamber for receiving and storing ice forms, said container defining adischarge passage way in communication with the storage chamber of saidcontainer and the exterior of said container, said discharge passagewayhaving a closure valve means operatively connected thereto forselectively opening and closing said passageway,

(b) agitating means operativei connected in the storage chamber of saidcontainer to break apart adhered masses of ice forms to permit a treeflow of the ice forms through the discharge passageway,

(c) said agitating means having a plurality of appendages swingablymounted within said storage chamber,

(d) a vane mounted on each of said appendages and having an ice movementsurface inclined relative to the axis of the swinging movement to movethe ice forms within said storage chamber in a particular direction on astroking movement of the oscillating appendages, each of said vaneshaving an opposed surface with means thereon to prevent the movement ofice forms in the chamber in an opposite direction upon a reversestroking movement of the oscillating appendages.

2. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms comprising:

(a) a container having an interior surface defining an inner storagechamber for receiving and storing ice forms, said container defining adischarge passageway in communication with the storage chamber of saidcontainer and the exterior of said container, said discharge passagewayhaving a closure valve means operatively connected thereto forselectively opening and closing said passageway,

(b) agitating means operatively connected in the storage chamber of saidcontainer to break apart adhered masses of ice forms to permit a freeflow of the ice forms through the discharge passageway,

(c) said container having a pair of spaced longitudinally extendingribs, each having an inwardly tacing abutment surface,

(d) said agitating means having a plurality of appendages swingablymounted within said storage chamber, said appendages being swingablerelative to said storage chamber transversel of said ribs in spacedrelation over said ribs,

(e) a vane on each of the appendages and having an ice movement surfaceinclined to the longitudinal axis of said container to move the iceforms within said storage chamber in a particular direction on astroking movement of said oscillating appendages, said vanes each havingan opposed surface with means thereon to prevent the movement of iceforms in the chamber in an opposite direction upon a reverse strokingmovement of the oscillating appendages.

3. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms as recited in claim2 wherein the container has a pair of opposed portions with saiddischarge passageway being located interiorly of said end portions withthe appendages of said agitating means located on both sideslongitudinally of said discharge passageway and the vanes on one side ofthe said passageway having an ice movement surface inclined to thelongitudinal axis in one direction and the vanes on the opposite side ofsaid passageway having an ice movement surface inclined in the oppositedirection to move said ice toward said discharge passageway uponstroking movement of the oscillating appendages.

4. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms as recited in claim2 wherein said container includes a discharge member, said dischargemember defining a fiow passageway from the storage chamber of saidcontainer to the exterior of said container, said discharge memberhaving a side Wall, said side wall defining a transverse slottherethrough and wherein said closure valve means includes a leaf valvemember swingable through said slot to seal off the passageway defined bysaid discharge member.

5. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms as recited in claim4 wherein said chamber includes a lowermost portion for drainage ofmoisture from melted ice forms and wherein said discharge passageway isin communication with said chamber through a discharge port locatedabove said lowermost portion to reduce the quantity of moisture whichmay flow into said discharge passageway.

6. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms as recited in claim4 wherein said leaf valve member is operatively connected to anactuating means for swinging said leaf valve through said slot, saidleaf valve member having a leading edge portion movable through saidslot and across said discharge member to a position wherein said leafvalve member seals off said discharge passageway, said leading edgeportion being generally V-shaped with an inwardly directed apex portion,said apex portion being movable transversely across the center portionof said discharge passageway.

7. An apparatus for storing and dispensing ice forms as recited in claim6 including means engageable with said actuating means for swinging saidleaf valve means when said leaf valve means is in an open position toactivate said agitating means to break apart adhered masses of ice formswithin said storage chamber and to agitate and move the ice forms withinsaid storage chamber to said discharge passageway.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 794,069 7/1905 Anglund 222-2351,323,401 12/1919 McCaskie 222-409 1,530,757 3/1925 Clewett 222-2331,634,213 6/1927 Rockwood 222-409 1,656,280 1/1928 Lalor 251-30 22,730,389 1/1956 Sherman 251-301 2,855,007 10/1958 Erickson et al.222-235 3,075,363 1/1963 Conto 62-344 3,126,125 3/1964 Eggers 222-4593,192,734 7/1965 Swanson 62-344 3,272,300 9/1966 Hoenisch 222-333 ROBERTB. REEVES, Primary Examiner.

RAPHAEL M. LUPO, Examiner.

